Camera



(No Mod'el.)

E. R. BULLARD.

UAMBRA.

No. 433,070. Patented July 20, 1800.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR R. BULLARD, 0F "WHEELING, IVEST VIRGINIA.

CAM ERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,070, dated July 29,1890.

Application tiled January 17, 1890. Serial No. 337,164. (No model.)

To all whom t mctyconcern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR R. BULLARD, a citizen ot' the United States,residing at 1Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of IV estVirginia, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Cameras, of which improvements the following is aspecification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in 'thatclass of photographic cameras generally known as detective cameras. Asheretofore constructed small cameras are of limited capacity.

The object of this invention is therefore to provide a very compactcamera with all the necessary conveniences and adjustments essential toa complete machine, including a direct and simplified focusing mechanismand a shutter having all the advantages of the rotary and drop shutterscombined, being absolutely under the control of t-he operator, therebyadmitting of any possible degree of exposure, from time toinstantaneous. The shutter is so constructed as to move transversely ofand with the lens, having means stationary relative to the lens foroperating it.

In general terms the invention consists in the construction andcombination of mechanical devices or elements, all as more fullyhereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a`sectional elevation of my improved camera, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line :c x, Eig. l. Fig. 2 is an endelevation, the front end of the box or case being removed; and Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the shutter and its operating mechanism.

The case or box 1 is preferably made about seven or eight inches longand tour by four and one-half inches square, one part of its top sidebeing hinged to the other part, forming a door 2 for the insertion andremoval of the ground-glass screen and the plate-holder, and in thefront and rear ends are form ed apertures, the one in the front end, forthe exposure of the lens, being provided with a cap or plug 3, while theopening in the rear, formed so as to permit of inspection of the imageon the ground-glass screen, is preferably closed by a hinged door 4. Thedoors 2 and et are provided with suitable catches 5 and G for holdingthem ina closed position.

About midway of the case or box is formed through the block. This blockis held against.

the bottom of the box or case by means of a screw 14, passing throughthe longitudinal slot 15 in the under side of the box and plate` 7o 16,which slides along the plate 17, upon which 17, the head of the screwengaging a spring is inscribed a table of distances, therebyl making itan easy matter to focus the lens from the outside of the box or casewithout` the employment of the ground glass. (See Fig. 1.)

On the front face of the block 12 is fastened the ring or sleeve 18,forming a bearing for the lens-tube 19, which is slotted, as shown, forthe passage ot' the curved plate 20 between the lenses. with a radialarm 21, which is pivotally attached to a plate 22, secured, as shown inFig. 2, to the movable block 12. The center of curvature of the edgesot' the plate or shutter, and also of the slot 23 formed therein,coincides with the pivot-pin connecting the arm 2l with the plate 22 orwith the center of movement of the shutter.

The arm 21 is provided at its inner end with a slotted toe 24, adaptedto engage a nin 25, proj ecting through a vertical slot in ther plate 22and fastened to a vertically-movable rod 26. This rod, whose lower endprojects through the under side of the box or case and is provided witha suitable button, has a bearing in the under side of the box and alsoin an angle-plate 27, attached to one side of the box, as shown in Fig.2, and is arranged approximately in line with the block 12 Whenat theinner limit of its movement. The pin 25 is therefore made of sufficientlength to At one end this plate is provided lOO remain in engagementwith the toe 24 at every Y position of the block 12 and shut-ter 20. The

rib or enlargement having teeth on its edge with which a pawl 28engages, so as to support the rod in its upper p'osition. This pawl issecured to a horizontal rod 29, mounted in suitable bearings on thesides of the box and provided with an arm 30, extending out horizontallyor approximately so. An operatingrod 31 is attached to the free end ofthis arm and extends down through an opening in the under side of thebox or case. -By an upward pressure on the button or head on the end ofthis rod 3l the rod 29 is rotated and the pawl disengaged from thetoothed rod, with which the pawl is held in engagement by means of thedownward pressure on rod 3l of the small spring attached to the insideof the bottom of the box or case. On being released from the pawl 28,the weight of the rod 26 and shutter 2O causes the latter to drop to theposition shown in Fig. 2, and in so dropping the slot 23 will admitlight through the lenses onto the sensitive plate; but as this gravitymovement is too slow to obtain a proper exposure under certainconditions, a rod 32 is flexibly connected at one end to one side of thebox or case, the opposite end passing loosely through a hole in the ribor enlargement on the rod 26, and to this rod is connected one end of aspring 33, the opposite end thereof being connected by a swivel-joint'toa tension-screw 34, passing through a nut in the bottom of the case orbox and terminating in a milled head 35. By properly adjusting thetension of the spring any desired rapidity of movement of the shuttermay be attained.

Any other suitable means of connecting the spring and shutter may beemployed; but that shown and described is preferred as being capable ofexerting considerable force with but slight strain on thc spring. Thedownward movement of the shutter is arrested by a cushioning-stop 36,formed by a plate having an upturned portion and secured to the bottomof the case or box.

In using my camera the lens is focused by shifting the block l2 by meansof the projecting head of the screw l-l until the front edge of thespring-plate 16 (which, being attached to the screw I4, moves with it)coincides with the proper figures in the table of distances inscribed onthe metal plate 17, or until a properly-defined image is shown upon thegroundglass screen. The lens being properly adjusted, the shutter is setby pressing the rod 26 upward to its extreme limit, when the pawl 2Swill engage the lower tooth of the rib thereon, thereby holding theshutter with a solid portion in line with the lens. The slide is thenwithdrawn from the plateholder, which has previously been placed inposition, the plug 3 removed, the camera properly directed at tleobject, and the exposure made by upward pressure on the rod 3l, therebydisengaging the pawl and permitting the shutter to assume its lowerposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the slotted portion 23 having passedbetween the lenses in so doing. It', however, a timeexposuro is desired,

the operator can, by means of thc rod 26, either retard the movement ofthe shutter or entirely arrest its movement when the slotted portionthereof is in line with the lenses, as will be readily understood. Ifdesired, a time or instantaneous exposure can also be effected byraising the shutter by upward pressure on the rod 26.

It will be readily understood that the case need not extend rearwardlymuch beyond the partition 7 3 but it is preferred to construct the caseas shown, as the space behind the partition will contain anumber ofplate-holders where they can be readily carried.

I claim herein as my invention l. In a detective-camera, the combinationof a box or case, an adjustable lens, a slotted shutter movabletransversely of and with the lens, and means stationary relative to thelens for operating the shutter, substantially as set forth.

2. In a detective-camera, the combination of an adjustable lens-tube, acurved slotted plate arranged to move between the lenses vand pivotallymounted at one side of the tube, and means stationary with relation tothe tube for operating said shutter, substantially as set forth.

In a camera, the combination of a lenstube, a curved and slotted platearranged .to move between the lenses and provided with a radial armpivotally attached to a suitable support, a slotted toe attached to saidarm, and a longitudinally-movable rod provided with a pin engaging saidslotted toe, substantially as set forth.

Lt. In a camera, the combination of a lenstube, a curved and slottedplate arranged to move between the lenses and provided with a radial armpivotal] y attached to a suitable support, a slotted toe attached tosaid arm, a longitudinally-movable rod provided with a pin engaging saidtoe, a pawl arranged to engage a tooth portion of the rod, and a rod fordisengaging the pawl, substantially as setforth.

5. In a camera, the combination of a lenstube, a curved and slottedplate arranged to move between the lenses and provided with a radial armpivotally mounted to a suitable support, a slotted toc attached to saidarm, a longitudinally-movable rod provided with a pin engaging sa'idtoe, a pawl arranged to engage a tooth portion of said rod, a rod 3l,connected to the pawl and operating the same, a horizontal rod pivoted.at one end and engaging the vertically-movable rod 26 at the oppositeend, and a spring for exerting a downward force on the horizontal rod,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand EDGARJ R. BULLARD.

Witnesses:

F. W. BAUMER, R. J. BULLARD, Jr. 1

IOO

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